Khalama rings true for Alan Bell

Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan is hoping Khalami’s owner Alan Bell decides to keep the mare racing for another season believing she can be a force in the summer stakes races.

Jim Byrne sported Bell’s famous grey and red colours aboard the mare at Doomben on Saturday when she won over 1050 metres.

Bell has had a varied career in racing including a stint as chairman of Racing NSW as well as training, breeding and owning horses and being a vet.

Among the horses to carry his colours was Grand Armee who died last week and counted a Doncaster, two Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and a Mackinnon Stakes among his seven Group One wins.

Bell has had many more top horses including Schillaci, Deep Field, Dupain and Star Turn.

One of Bell’s first major winners as a trainer was the 1996 Brisbane Cup, then a Group One race, with Dupain.

Khalama, who did her early racing in New Zealand with Graeme and Debbie Rogerson, is the first horse Bell has sent to Gollan.

“I go back a long way with Alan who was introduced to me through (trainer) Tim Martin at the Sydney Easter sales. It was a pleasure to watch him at a big sale and there is no better judge of a horse,” Gollan said.

“He has always promised to send me a good horse and Khalama looks to be that. Right from the day she entered the stable we thought we had something a bit special.

“I think she will be perfect for some of the fillies and mares black-type races in the Brisbane summer,” he said.